A Week in Summer

A Short Story

By: Maeve Binchy

Narrated by: Maeve Binchy

After many happy years of marriage and raising a family, Brian and Kathleen suddenly find themselves a bit lost in life. Midwesterners who’ve never traveled, Kathleen decides that what she and Brian need is a vacation, and with the help of an enthusiastic travel agent she plans a trip to Ireland in search of her roots. In beautiful, quaint Lisdoonvarna, to the couple’s surprise, they find themselves in the midst of a joyous yearly gathering dedicated to celebrating the life and work of a late Irish poet, and they rediscover something much more important than evidence of long-dead ancestors: their love for each other and for life itself.

What a delightful half hour!

Adding to the charm is the fact that Maeve Binchy is reading to the very audience for whom the story was written. We laugh along with them.

Read by the author!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Week in Summer to be better than the print version?

yes

What did you like best about this story?

the fact that it was read by the author, who is one of my favorites.

What does Maeve Binchy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

her lovely accent and wonderful storytelling ability. Brought the story to life for me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

living your life.

Love Maeve Binchy’s voice.

What a lovely treat to hear Maeve Binchy read one of her own stories. Delightful.

In her own voice

Maeve Binchy narrates this interesting story at speed. I have listened to it twice and find it highly enjoyable, especially the audience reactions in the background. She reads quite fast to my taste, but I was able to understand her. Great story. I was rooting for the wife as she got her husband to take a vacation to Ireland for a week. Just see who they meet up with!

What a great gift for her friends!

What about Maeve Binchy’s performance did you like?

First of all, I love Maeve Binchy. I love the way she weaves characters in and out of each other's lives. How their relationships change and they just go with the flow. How she always brings out the most poignant aspect of the relationships without getting muddled up in all the baggage.

Next, you have to listen to the introduction! Once you understand that she has written this story and is performing it as a gift for her friends at the festival, it takes on so much more meaning! The audience laughs at the parts of the story that are poking fun at them! I love the comeraderie that is so evident in the context of the reading. It means so much more as her performance than it ever would as written text!